Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
WASHINGTON - Livan Hernandez loves pitching against the Washington Nationals.
Hernandez threw seven solid innings and Jeff Francoeur hit his first homer with the Mets, leading New York to a 6-2 victory over woeful Washington on Monday night.
Hernandez (6-5) allowed two runs and five hits to end a four-game losing streak and earn his first win since he tossed seven scoreless innings June 7 at Washington. The right-hander improved to 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA against Washington this season and 8-1 with a 2.74 ERA against the Nationals in his career.
“You want to pitch different every time you play a team,” Hernandez said. “What I do is try and throw some pitches they haven’t seen before.”
Hernandez pitched for the Nationals franchise for four seasons, its last two in Montreal and first two in Washington. He is 11-5 with a 3.67 ERA against the club for his career.
“I was kind of anxiously waiting for him to get through the first inning, and once he did that, he began to cruise,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said.
Hernandez got lots of help from Francoeur, who went deep for the first time since he was acquired from Atlanta on July 10. He finished with three hits and two RBIs for the injury-riddled Mets.
“We’ve been pressing a little bit,” Francoeur said. “I know it’s been a little difficult time in here.”
Francoeur had been shocked by the trade from his hometown team, and was unnerved by a quick return with New York last weekend.
“I’m not going to lie to you. I didn’t know it was going to be so emotional in Atlanta,” he said. “It was definitely a little difficult the first couple of games.”
The Mets have scored six runs or more just six times in 25 games since All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran went on the disabled list on June 22. They improved to 10-15 over that stretch.
Washington has lost six straight to lower its major league-worst record to 26-66 and is 0-5 since Jim Riggleman became interim manager a week ago.
The Mets pushed across two runs in the first and three in the second against J.D. Martin (0-1), who was making his major league debut. Daniel Murphy had an RBI single and Francoeur doubled in a run in the first. Angel Pagan and Luis Castillo had two-out RBI singles in the second, and Murphy followed with a run-scoring double.
Josh Bard hit a two-run double in the fourth for the Nationals but that was it. Pedro Feliciano and Sean Green combined to work the eighth before Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect ninth.
Riggleman was impressed with Hernandez’s effort.
“He’s just the ultimate pro. He’s a thinking man’s pitcher,” he said.
The 26-year-old Martin, who was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday, allowed five runs and eight hits in four innings.
Francoeur led off the ninth with his sixth homer.
NOTES: New York general manager Omar Minaya said chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon recently gave him and Manuel a vote of confidence. ... The Mets placed RHP Fernando Nieve on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right thigh. He’s expected to miss at least six weeks. Nieve suffered the injury running the bases in Sunday’s loss in Atlanta. OF Cory Sullivan was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. ... LHP Scott Olsen, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a back injury, saw Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., and Riggleman said there was damage to his labrum. ... 3B Ryan Zimmerman was given the night off by Riggleman. ... OF Gary Sheffield (sore right hamstring) may be ready to pinch hit on Tuesday, but won’t start, Manuel said.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
DeMarco: Plug in a well-heeled ownership group and negotiate one of those mega-bucks TV deals that are going around, and the Dodgers could become the west coast version of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.
 | Special feature |
 |
Top baseball busts The Five Spot: Jimmy Rollins has struggled this season, but is he the biggest first half bust? Have your voices heard and vote on the Top 5! |
HardballTalk headlines |
| Interactive |
 |
 | Slideshow |
 | Unbreakable records in baseball A look at the most unbreakable records in baseball including Nolan Ryan's seven no-hitters. |
| Slideshow |
 | The top tools of baseball You hear a lot about the tools of baseball, but who are the best hitters, fielders and pitchers? We break it down. more photos |
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.